I do not know about you, but I am grateful for the local farmers markets and their freshest offerings of spring vegetables. Since last fall, I have attempted to eat seasonally and realized how difficult it can be; yet, historically, our predecessors had no choice but to eat that way.
I started thinking about this as I reread a favorite book, “Animal, Vegetable, Mineral” by Barbara Kingsolver. The book chronicles an Arizona family that relocated to a farm in Appalachia with the intent to stop buying food elsewhere and learn a genuine acceptance of living primarily off their own land.
It is very easy to drive to a local grocery store and find nearly everything you could possibly want to fill your refrigerator and pantry in one place. This family took a loyalty oath to purchase meat and produce from their county, forsaking all others shipped into the stores. After much trial and error, they learned that waiting for foods to come into season means eating them when they are good and plentiful.
Next, I researched the North Carolina State Extension publications, our three optimal growing seasons, and quickly understood that proper storage and preservation are also very important to sustaining a family. This led me to reading about root cellars, canning, dehydrating, and freezing the abundance from the garden, as well as fermenting in a crock.
When I began my seasonal eating escapade last fall, I thought, “Root vegetables, leafy greens, I got this!” I happily used them all in creative ways for many weeks. I fermented sauerkraut and kimchi. I switched to maple syrup and local honey for sweeteners. I bought eggs from the little entrepreneur down the road. Apples and pumpkins rounded out my fall fruit menu.
But then, cucumbers.
I had made my own yogurt and wanted to have some tzatziki with the pita bread I had also made. Wrestling with substitutions or going without, I found myself in front of the organic cucumbers in the store. I had been doing so well, even growing my own sprouts in the kitchen window for their micronutrient boost. I bought the more expensive cucumber shipped hundreds of miles. Not wanting to berate myself, I instead realized that in my quest to adhere to a seasonal diet, I still had so much to learn.
This experience reinforced the fact that previous generations had some lean times in the late winter months, and how important it was to have a plan to grow and preserve food to get through each season.
Nutritionally, foods harvested locally have a much higher vitamin and mineral content. The variety of fresh offerings not only tastes better, but you can purchase an abundance to preserve for future meals. During the recent ramp season, I foraged a meal or two. If you choose gardening, you have many options: raised beds, greenhouses, a plowed patch in the yard, or even containers on the porch.
Where sprouts come in
A simple way to quickly increase nutrition with low effort, especially when seasonal produce might not be readily available, is to start some sprouts and use them regularly. I love eating sprouts because they are like having a mini garden on my counter, providing fresh, nutrient-rich food every day. Sprouts are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making them a powerhouse addition to any meal. Some easy-to-sprout seeds or beans include sunflower, quinoa, chia, and lentils. Add them to salads, sandwiches, noodle and rice bowls, soups, eggs, and more.
Most sprouts can be grown easily in a mason jar with a sprouting lid (you can also use cheesecloth and a rubber band instead of the sprouting lid). Start with a clean jar, add seeds, and cover with water. Let the seeds sit in the jar overnight. In the morning, drain the water and rinse the seeds with fresh water. Rinse at least morning and night, and let the jar sit on its side on the counter while sprouting. When the sprouts are the desired size, harvest and store them in a container in the fridge.
Starting and rinsing sprouts takes maybe five total minutes out of my day, but gives me a massive payoff in terms of meal prep.
If one of your 2025 goals is to eat healthier, try eating seasonally and consider growing sprouts. Sprouts are especially packed with nutrients and they are easy to achieve – no fancy recipes or equipment. As you increase your intake of fresh food, you will feel better and have more energy.